Tagalog, the language of the Philippines, may face complete annihilation in one California public school unless the state acts fast.

More than 1,300 people, predominantly of Filipino decent, have signed an online petition to support AB 420, which was introduced earlier this year by Assemblywoman Shirley Horton (R-Chula Vista).

According to the petition, the Sweetwater Union High School District in San Diego is in danger of losing its Tagalog class because there is no teacher credential program for the language. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, teachers must be qualified or credentialed to teach any given subject.

“Spanish and French will not be quickly affected but I sense German, Russian and Cantonese Chinese will fall in the same boat as Tagalog of being dismissed first,” said Henry Mac, 24, a SF State student and one of the many who signed the petition.

According to the No Child Left Behind Act, teachers need to have a bachelor’s degree and they have to hold a credential or have to be in an internship that leads to a completion of an organized teacher preparation program. They also have to demonstrate subject matter competence.

If AB 420 passes, it would require the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish guidelines for alternative assessment to allow teachers of the Filipino language to demonstrate their proficiency.

The commission said the California Subject Examinations for Teachers, which are tests given to potential teachers that test their competence in a certain subject, is currently only being offered in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi, Russian, and Vietnamese. There no existing commission-approved subject matter programs in Tagalog.

Statistics have shown that nearly 40 percent of the population in California speaks a language other than English. The studies have also shown that students with second-language competence enhance global competitiveness.

Many of the people who stand by AB 420 have said that a person who knows two languages can count as two people. Comments posted online include, “Learning and studying another language can help a student’s chance of getting a job in the future,” and “They can also just get a job as a translator and get paid well.”

Public high schools most likely offer Spanish language classes and, according to a few schools in San Francisco, it is the most popular language class. Most high school cannot provide other type of language classes due to limited budgets.

People who signed the petition want a variety of language classes in school besides Spanish.

“(Tagalog) has been taught as a foreign language in California schools since 1978,” said Eleonor

Castillo the president of the Filipino American Educators Association of San Diego County. “When students are asked why they are interested in taking (Tagalog), many respond that learning (Tagalog) enables them to learn about their culture and develop their sense of identity.”

Castillo is a second-generation Filipino American who didn’t have the opportunity to learn the language at home or at school. The racial discrimination her parents experienced led to their decision to not teach her Tagalog.

“It is an honor for me to be a part of the statewide effort to preserve Filipino language and culture in California,” said Castillo.

People who are interested in supporting the online petition can check out http://www.petitiononline.com/FiLM/petition.html. You can post your personal thoughts on the issues at the Web site.